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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1993)
Sagebrush Coalition sponsors one senator per county plan P - S S 1 E WETZELL ’J O F OK p* “ 7 ’.V S P A P F R L I 3 E 'J Q E N £ 0 R & 7 4 G 3 « HEPPNER 35C azette imes VOL. 112 NO. 1 6 Pages Wednesday, January 6, 1993 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon The Sagebrush Coalition has unveiled its “ One Senator Per County” project with the objec tive of giving Central and Eastern Oregon increased representation in the Oregon State Senate. Project director Gary Marks of Heppner said that currently only four of Oregon’s 30 state senators represent the Central and Eastern portions of the state, even though the same area contains nearly two-thirds of the state’s land mass, 18 of the 36 counties, and several important land-intensive industries such as timber, farm ing, and ranching. “ The real issues here are fairness and rural survival,” Marks said. “ The Central and Eastern portion of our state, an area larger than 29 states, needs more than four senators in the Oregon legislature, especially at a time when our natural resource industries have come under in creased scrutiny by urban legislators.” The Sagebrush Coalition would remedy the im balance o f legislative power by giving each Oregon county one state senator, rather than the current method of basing state senate districts on population. The “ One Senator Per County” plan would result in the east and the west sides of the state having 18 senators apiece. Marks points to the U.S. Con- stitution as an example of the Sagebrush Coalition’s plan in ac tion. “ W hen our nation’s founders wrote our U.S. Con stitution they recognized the need to balace the interests of popuated and sparsely populated areas in the national legislature,” Marks said. “ As a result, the Constitu tion grants two senators to each state, regardless of population. This means that sparsely populated states like Wyoming have equal voting power with large states like California.” Marks said that since congres sional districts in the U.S. House of Representatives are based on an equal division of the popula tion, the House and Senate balance each other out. “ The populated states control the House and the sparsely populated states hold the upper hand in the Senate,” he said. “ Unfortunately, in 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not duplicate the U.S. Constitution’s balanced for mula,” Marks said. “ Basically, the court took the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, which were ratified shortly after the Civil War to insure due pro cess, equal protection of the laws and the right to vote, and warped them to say that states had to use were in 1964,” Marks said. The Sagebrush Coalition’s plan seeks the signatures of Central and Eastern Oregonians on a resolution calling for actions by county and state officials. The resolution asks the 18 counties east of the Cascades to submit to their people an advisory ballot measure seeking voter approval of the “ One Senator Per Coun ty' plan tor Oregon at the May 1993 primary election. The resolution also asks Central and Eastern Oregon’s state legislative delegation to sponsor legislation seeking a state-wide vote on a constitutional amendment gran ting one senator to each county and seeking a U.S. Supreme Court challenge to the 1964 decision. “ Imagine Central and Eastern Oregon overwhelmingly approv ing an 18-county ballot measure calling for one senator per coun ty in May at the same time the Legislature is in session and has a bill calling for a state-wide vote sitting in committee,” Marks said. “ I think we’ll definitely get some attention.” Marks said resolutions could be obtained by calling him at 676-9650. population as the only basis of distributing state senate districts.” “ The writers of those amend ments in the late 1860’s never in tended them to be used like they School board adopts election zones Town and Country Day next week Monday night the Morrow County school board changed the way school board members will be elected in the future. The board divided the school district into seven election zones based on population. According to school district at torney Ann Spicer, the change was necessitated by state regula tions which require school board representation based on popula tion. Spicer said that if the board did not create the zones based on population, the state would do it for them and the board’s deci sions in the interim would be open to challenge in the courts. The board currently has seven members, one elected from each community-Heppner, lone, Lex ington, Boardman and Irrigon, and two elected from the county at large. Two options, drawn up by Spicer and county school superintendent Ralph Reed, were presented to the board. The board rejected option A, a proposed zoning map based on com munities and agreed on option B. a map which has zones based more on north to south divisions. Approval of plan B hinged on formation of a zoning map which will divide the zones, to an even greater extent, into ribbon-like slices running north to south. Proponents of this plan maintain ed that it may benefit the district by eliminating some of the north- south divisions. Proponents of the community based plan argued that communities would be better represented and have better ac cess to their board members with plan A. Both A and B options were based on population. Another option discussed was to elect all board members at large. This option, however, Reception set for Judge Wallace A reception for newly-elected district court judge Jeff Wallace will be held Friday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. at the district court office on the second floor of the Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner. The reception is being held to mark the investiture of Judge Wallace. The public is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. Snow hits Morrow County Kelli Straley and her dad Jay show off their snowman they built in the front yard of their home on South Court St. in Heppner. would require a vote of the peo ple and zoning would still be re quired until an election could be held. According to Spicer, court challenges could occur. “ This is not an option I would recom mend,” said Spicer. Because a board position is up for election in March, the district was on a strict time line to establish zones before the Jan. 21 filing deadline. That position is now held by Scott Bauska, Board- man, who was elected to an at- large position. Under the new zoning, Bauska may run for re-election from zone 7, which has 1,120 people and encompasses the south Boardman area. The new zone l , with a popula tion of around 1,084, includes the north Boardman area. Board member Alan Holmes, elected from the former Boardman zone, lives in this zone. Election for this term will be held in the spring of 1994. Zone 2 includes rural Irrigon and extends to South Morrow County. Lexington is also includ ed in this zone which has a poula- tion of around 1,116. Two board members currently reside in this zone, Dwayne Carroll, who was elected from the Imgon zone, and Marcia Kemp, elected from the Lexington zone. Election for this zone will be held in the spring of 19%. Carroll will retain this posi tion until the election because Kemp’s term expires first. Zone 3 encompasses West Morrow County and runs from Boardman to South Morrow County. It includes a portion of Boardman and has a population of around 1,073. Board members John Rietmann, elected from the lone area, and Molly Rill, elected from the Lexington area, both reside in this zone. Because their terms expire at the same time, they both may run for re-election in the spring of 1995. Zone 4, with a population of around 1,092, encompasses most of the city of Heppner. No board member currently resides in this zone. Election for this zone will be held in the spring of 1995. Zone 5, which is also empty, encompasses the city of Irrigon. Election for this zone with a population of around 1,078 will also be in the spring of 1995. Zone 6 includes the area sur rounding Heppner, including Hardman. Bill Doherty, who was elected to an at-large position, lives in this zone, which has a population of around 1,065. Elec tion will be held in the spring of 19%. Board members will retain their positions until their terms expire. New terms are all four- year positions and board members must live in the zones to which they are elected. Voters in the entire county, however, will vote on each board position. Special guest speakers at the Town and Country Day luncheon set for noon on January 13 at the Heppner Elks Club will be two members of the Sagebrush Coali tion, John Larkin and Dennis Maloney. Larkin, who is the owner of KTVZ television station in Bend is the chair of the Sagebrush Coalition. Maloney, director of the Deschutes Department of Com munity Corrections, is one of the founders of the group and is cur rently on the steering committee. The Sagebrush Coalition is an organization which promotes the interests of Eastern Oregon. The luncheon buffet is $5. Meetings will be held all day, including the Small Woodlands Association at 9 a.m., the Soil and Water Conservation District at 10 a.m. Water for Life direc tor Todd Heidgerken will speak at 2 p.m and at 4 p.m. Bruce Duffe of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will speak on the pool operation change at the Willow Creek Lake. There will be a break at 3:45 p.m. hosted by the Bank of Eastern Oregon and the social hour at 6 p.m. will be sponsored by the Morrow County Grain Growers. MCGG customer appreciation day slated The Morrow County Grain Growers Customer Appreciation Day has been scheduled for Feb. 13, the co-op has announced. The Wasco branch appreciation day will be Feb. 20. Weather Report At 7 p.m. that evening a prime rib dinner is planned at the Elks club. Cowboy poet Leon Flick will provide entertainment. Also during the evening Chamber of Commerce awards will be presented and the Morrow Coun- ty Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court will be crowned. The dinner is $15. A gem drawing will be held during the dinner compliments of Peterson’s Jewelers. All meetings and programs are open to the public. Town & Country Day Wednesday, January 13, 1993 Heppner Elks Club “ Rurai Folks Working Together” All programs and meetings are open to the public 9 a.m . Small W oodlands 10 a.m . Soil and W ater C onservation D istrict Noon Luncheon Buffet, $5 H eppner Elks Club; Sagebrush Coalition-speakers John Larkin and Dennis Maloney. 2 p.m . W ater for Life-Todd Heidgerken, D irector Field Services, M orrow County Livestock G rowers and W heat League. 3:45 p.m . Break, hosted by the Bank o f Eastern Oregon. 4 p.m . “ Pool Operation Change at Willow Creek L a k e ’’-B ruce D uffe. P u b lic m eeting- Reservoir Regulation U .S. Army Corps o f Engineers, Portland District. 6 p.m . Social hour, hosted by M orrow County Grain G rowers. 7 p.m . Prime Rib D inner, $15. Leon Flick, cowboy poet, Cham ber o f Comm erce awards; C or onation o f M orrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Court; Gem Drawing, com- ____________pliments o f Peterson’s Jewelers.____________ MSWC District to hold annual meeting Jan. 13 The Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District, in con junction with Town and Country Days, will hold its annual meeting January 13 at the Hepp ner Elks Club, 142 N. Main in Heppner. The regular monthly board meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the annual meeting follow- ing at 10 a.m. This year’s speaker will be Ed W eber from the Natural Resources Division of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He will be speaking on the role of soil and water conservation districts in the implementation of legislation dealing with natural resource management programs. Singspiration January 10 by City ot Hepooer Dec. 29 - Jan. 4, 1992 Tues. Weds. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. High 28 30 23 25 32 38 38 Low 15 20 19 19 19 22 20 Pree .07 .04 .05 .13 .0 .19 .06 Snow Vi "new •4 "new '¿ ’’new 2” new 2 Vi gmd 2 \ "new 1 Vi "new The next singspiration, spon sored by the South Morrow Ministerial Association, will be held at the Heppner Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 560 N. Minor, on January 10 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Community Choir is put ting on a program the same even ing starting at 6 p.m ., so organizers hope that by starting the singspiration a half an hour later than usual, those interested can attend both programs. Special musical numbers by other church groups or communi ty members will be welcomed. Refreshments will be served following the singing. Bank o f EastemOregon Jinnounciiig. . . HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7.25% Member U reaon ? OIC Arlmaton • HeDDner Arlington Heppner • lone • / ) f ’i n / m i t /H t h l n i l H i 'Hit ( h i i i i i l Hunk
